1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a steering wheel fixing construction for toy vehicles, particularly to a steering wheel fixing device constructed selectively allowing or inhibiting the turning movement of front wheels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a toy vehicle having front wheels which can be turned by operating the steering wheel. For young children, however, the arrangement allowing the front wheels to turn is not desirable from the standpoint of safety. Therefore, a steering wheel fixing device is desirable which is so constructed that when a child is still young the front wheels are made unturnable but when the child grows up to some degree, the front wheels are made turnable.
As an arrangement which satisfies such a desire, there is a steering wheel mechanism for toy vehicles disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 17432/1985. This steering wheel mechanism is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Referring to these figures, a support cylinder 2 which turnably supports front wheels 1, projects beyond the upper surface of a toy body 3. The projecting portion has a steering wheel 4 attached thereto by a screw 5. The toy body 3 has a support sleeve 6 depending from the upper surface thereof to receive the support cylinder 2. The lower end of the support sleeve 6 has a wide, turn-allowing groove 7 and a narrow, turn-inhibiting groove 8. The support cylinder 2 is in the form of a bar the upper half of which is reduced in diameter as at 9, the diameter-reduced portion 9 having at its lower end an engaging projection 10 sized to snugly fit in the turn-inhibiting groove 8 of said support sleeve 6.
When it is desired to inhibit the turning movement of the front wheels 1, the engaging projection 10 is fitted in the turn-inhibiting groove 8 of the support sleeve 6. On the other hand, when it is desired to allow the turning movement of the front wheels 1, the engaging projection 10 is engaged with the turn-allowing groove 7.
According to the arrangement described above, for a single toy vehicle, it is possible to select two states, one in which the turning movement of the front wheels 1 is possible and the other in which it is impossible. However, the operation involved in switching between the two states is troublesome. More particularly, first, the screw 5 must be removed, followed by the removal of the steering wheel 4 from the support cylinder 2. Then, the toy body 3 is turned upside down and the support cylinder 2 together with the front wheels 1 is extracted from the support sleeve 6 of the toy body 3. The support cylinder 2 is turned through 180.degree. and inserted again into the support sleeve 6. Finally, the steering wheel 4 is fitted on the upper end of the support cylinder 2 and fixed in position by the screw 5. Thus, according to the steering wheel mechanism for toy vehicles disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 17432/1985, the operation for switching between one state in which the turning movement of the front wheels is possible and the other in which it is impossible, is troublesome, taking much time and labor, as described above.